Chapter 4
I’m not smoking, baby.
I nodded at the driver when I received Deontray’s text. He wasn’t about to have me choking and shit while I was trying to work. I hated being in small, closed-in spaces when people were smoking. My dad was a smoker, but he didn’t smoke in the house. He always smoked outside. My mama had bad allergies and couldn’t really take too much smoke anyway.
I glanced at the text again and smiled slightly. I responded to him. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.
I was somewhat nervous. Despite my reservations about it, I decided to go to the studio alone, with only a security guard. I was pretty sure Deontray had the building loaded with them, but I needed someone there that would have my best interest at heart. If he was the one I needed protecting from, his people would still have his best interest at heart, whether he was right or wrong. I refused to be a victim of this industry. Trusting anybody in it was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
Still… something in my heart said I needed to feel Deontray out alone, without anyone being in my ear reminding me of his past and the things I thought I knew about him. I had seen him multiple times, but we’d never had a face-to-face until today. Here we were though… already embarking on a work relationship.
When we arrived, my guard opened the door for me, extending his hand to assist me out. I was just sitting there, trying to calm my nerves about what I could possibly be embarking upon. “You okay, Miss Carrier?”
I nodded then accepted his hand as he helped me out of the car. There was something about Deontray that intrigued me. While he had a bad reputation, depicting him as a ho, I still wanted to get to know him on the inside. It seemed his heart was pure, and I couldn’t stop my body from craving what it could possibly have to offer.
I followed Terrence inside. He greeted the other guards and led me to the elevator. My nerves had my entire body trembling. Thankfully, I’d chosen to go to my room and change into some sweats and a T-shirt. I wanted to be as comfortable as possible without showing too much sex appeal. I had my hair pulled up into a messy bun, and I’d washed off my makeup. I literally felt like I was ready for bed. Wait. That isn’t a good thing, Kamari!
As I silently panicked, the elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside. I pulled my phone from my pocket and texted Mulan and Tiana. I’m here. Wish me luck.
Tiana: Luck with getting fucked with that demon dick or luck with making a hit song?
I rolled my eyes. She was adamant about me fucking him to see what all the hoopla was about. Rumor had it that he had dick for days and knew just how to use it, or so Tiana had said. I kept my nose out of the gossip columns. Who needed them when I had someone like Tiana all in my ear about what was going on in the industry? Because of her, I knew about everything from plagiarism to sex scandals.
Mulan texted the eyeroll emoji then texted, Good luck, Kamari. Don’t pay Tiana’s ass any attention. Ignore her like we normally do.
Tiana: Bitches.
I chuckled as I slowly shook my head. I’m ignoring her commentary but laughing at it at the same time. Thanks for relaxing me. I’m getting off the elevator now.
Mulan: Don’t hesitate to kick him in the nuts if necessary.
Me: I don’t think it will be necessary. That’s what I have Terrence for.
Tiana: Don’t hesitate to suck them nuts either.
I nearly choked when I read that shit. I swore, I could always count on Tiana to say something out of pocket. That was my girl though. When I needed really serious advice, I talked to my mama, because that fool would have me in all sorts of trouble. She almost got us arrested when she decided to slice her ex’s tires. We were running from the police and everything. That shit would have halted my career before it even started.
When we got to the studio, I could feel my knees knocking. Terrence knocked on the door as I texted Deontray. We’re at the door.
Before he could respond, a guard came from around the corner and gave us a head nod, then put in the code to the door. I wasn’t sure where he was, but I could only hope he’d gone to the restroom and wasn’t slacking on his job. When the door opened, Terrence walked in first. I followed behind him, and when I saw Deontray in a T-shirt and his dress pants, I smiled. He didn’t even go and change. He was dedicated to his craft.
He had a slight frown on his face, but he extended his arm for a hug. I obliged him and said, “Hey.”
“What’s up, baby? Give me a minute to get back with you,” he said as he walked out of the studio.
I glanced over at Terrence, and he gave me a slight smirk. I assumed that he knew what was about to happen. When Deontray came back inside, he looked a lot calmer, and he smiled at me. “I apologize. I had to check and see why Jason wasn’t at the damn door when you got here. He’d gone to the restroom. At least he’d secured the door before he disappeared, but he should have let someone know he was leaving his post.”
I nodded. “You take that sort of thing seriously.”
“Absolutely. I don’t need any mishaps… not for shit I can control.” He smiled slightly and came closer to me. “So you didn’t go to any parties if you’re here already.”
“No, I didn’t. I was anxious to hear this song.”
He bit his bottom lip and flashed me a smile that nearly made me erupt on myself. “Is that right?”
“Mm hmm.”
He nodded at the engineer, and he cranked the song up. “This is the full track, but I want all these instruments muted except for the bass line. I want the guitar to fill in all that.”
I nodded and closed my eyes as I listened to the music along with the lyrics. It was so unlike his other music. It was a love song… a fucking ballad. He was talking about a relationship and how beautiful the woman in his life was and how she had his heart. It was definitely my type of song… something I would be a part of creating. Damn, it was so beautiful. Without the music, it could definitely be a country song. He was on to something here.
When it ended, I opened my eyes to find him staring at me. He wasn’t smiling, and his gaze was intense. I cleared my throat and walked around him and grabbed the acoustic guitar situated on the other side of the room. I could hear the melody plain as day, and I wanted to record it immediately. I strummed it out to make sure I had it then went into the booth without a word.
Turning to face them, I could see their excitement in their smiles. I wasn’t a very talkative person when I was creating, so hopefully, my silence didn’t come off in a negative way. I nodded so he would play the vocals for me to create to. I began playing and found myself closing my eyes again and humming in spots. The song was so damn beautiful. I couldn’t help myself.
When it ended, I opened my eyes, and the guys clapped loudly. When I saw Deontray hopping up and down, it made me smile. He loved it, and that made me extremely proud of what I’d created with him. I stepped out of the booth, and he damn near tackled me. I laughed as he picked me up and spun me around.
When he released me, my five-feet-six-inch frame slid down his, which had to be six feet or better, and we remained close, staring at each other. Before I could pull away, he lightly kissed my forehead. “Kamari, that was perfect, baby. Absolutely perfect. Can we keep your humming?”
I smiled at him and brought my hand to his cheek. “Yeah, you can. Thank you for wanting me to be a part of such a beautiful song.”
He smiled slightly and kissed my head again. I had to admit that his lips were soft as hell, and I wanted to feel them on mine. I stared up at him as he stared down at me until the engineer cued up the music. When it came through the speakers, I was about to step away, but Deontray pulled me to him and held me in his arms.
It was like he was singing that song to me, and it had me more sensitive than I’d ever been. I laid my head against him and closed my eyes as I listened to the most beautiful song I’d ever heard. When the bass line and light taps for the percussion came in on certain parts, I was in awe of how the engineer made it sound so full. As I remained in Deontray’s arms, I realized we were swaying as if we were dancing.
A slight smile made its way to my lips. This moment was just as beautiful as the song he sang. Toward the end, when he stopped singing, I heard some strings come in. God, bless it. I took a deep breath as it ended and pulled away from him slightly to see we were left in the studio alone. I supposed everyone thought we needed time alone. Was our chemistry that clear to them?
I stared up at Deontray, and he slowly lowered his lips to mine. When my eyes fluttered shut, I knew I was in trouble. I couldn’t fight what I was feeling right away. I moaned into his mouth, and that had to be the green light he was searching for. He lifted me and set me on the smooth surface next to the boards as his tongue ravaged my mouth.
He stood in between my legs, and it took every ounce of restraint within me not to wrap my legs around him. My hands found his locs and pulled them out of the bun he had them in. When I grabbed ahold of them, he did the same to my hair. This moment was getting so heated. I knew I needed to stop it, but Deontray’s massive erection pressed against me had me stuck.
Him having his hands in my hair only heightened things for me. I loved for a nigga to play in my hair. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, but I soon found the restraint I was looking for and pulled away from him. We were both slightly panting as he stepped away from me and wiped his mouth.
“I’m sorry, Kamari. I been wanting to taste your lips, baby. They didn’t fucking disappoint.”
I wiped my mouth as well and said, “Yours didn’t disappoint either. You don’t have to apologize, but we do need to dial this back.”
I hopped off the countertop and pulled my hair back up as he did the same. He cleared his throat. When I glanced at him and saw him adjusting himself, my mouth watered. What in the fuck is wrong with me? I cleared my throat, too, and went to the couch. He sat next to me and grabbed my hand. We remained silent, soaking up each other’s aura. Finally, I turned to him. “When do you plan to release this?”
“I wish I could release it tomorrow. I can’t wait for the fans to hear the magic we created.”
He stood from the couch and went to a safe-like box. When he turned back to me, it was opened, and he was extending a stack of bills to me. I frowned slightly as I stood. Explaining what he was doing, he said, “This is ten grand for making time for me, but you’ll be listed as a producer and feature on this song. So you’ll be getting more money from the label. I just wanted to compensate you for doing this on such short notice, especially knowing you have an early flight.”
I shook my head. “I can’t take this, Deontray. It’s sweet, but I was really honored to just collaborate with you.”
“I want you to be compensated for your time, Kamari… your lack of sleep, your amazing talent, and for sharing it with me. Just being in your presence makes me feel… I don’t know.”
He looked away, and his face reddened a bit. That caught me off guard. Deontray always seemed to be extremely confident and cocky to me. This was different. I put my hands to his face and turned him back to face me. “Makes you feel what?”
He lowered his head and softly kissed my lips. “No matter how cliché it sounds, I feel special to be able to share your space. Overwhelmingly special, baby. It’s like God sent an angel here just for me… Out of all the people in the world, he chose me to bless with you.”
My lips parted. I didn’t expect him to say anything as tender as this. It was like he stole my breath. We didn’t even know each other. We knew of each other, along with a few particulars. I looked away, and he did the same to me as I had done to him. He pulled my face back to face him. “What are you thinking, Kamari?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t really expecting you to say that. I don’t trust people easily, nor am I easily moved by words, but I’m flattered. I feel special.”
Shocking my damn self, I pulled his face to mine and kissed his soft lips again. God, I wanted him so bad now. There was no way I would be able to avoid having his nuts in my mouth if I didn’t get my ass out of here. His hands slid to the small of my back, and he pulled me against him as I slid my arms around him. Stop, Kamari! You’ll just be another notch on his blinged out belt!
Slowly, I pulled away from him just as the door opened. Deontray grabbed my hand and placed the money in it. “Please take it, Kamari.”
I shook my head. “No. It was great working with you. I have to go though.”
My feelings were all over the place, and I needed to get away from him to thoroughly evaluate them. The money dropped to the floor, but his eyes remained on mine. When I looked away, I realized everyone’s eyes were on us. That didn’t seem to bother him. I wasn’t a fan of having people that I only had a business relationship with in my personal business.
I stepped away from him as he licked his lips. I turned my back to leave, and when I got to the door where Terrence was, Deontray said, “Kamari.”
I turned back to him to see him approaching me. When he got to me, he leaned over and kissed my lips in front of everyone. “Please call or text when you make it back to your room.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, only to feel him grabbing my hand. “Can we get a minute right quick, everybody?”
The men left out once again with smirks on their faces. When they left, he scooped me up and went to the couch. He sat, placing me on his lap and kissed my lips again. “Kamari, I want to be with you, bad. I’m not talking just sexually either. That was what I wanted from you before we met. It was like your spirit swallowed me whole, girl. You’re a good girl, and since I’ve been in your presence, it seems like I’m not whole when I’m away from you.”
“What assurances do I have that you are who you’re showing me you are?”
“None. I ain’t been nowhere close to being a saint in this industry, but if it means I’ll have you, me and Saint Peter gon’ be tight as hell.”
I smiled at him. “I don’t want a saint. I want the real Deontray, not the one that’s being with different women, searching for permanent fixes in temporary situations.”
He looked away from me. It seemed I’d hit the nail right on the head. He slid his hand down his face and allowed me to slide to the couch next to him. I grabbed his hand and held it between mine.
“You know, I used to wonder if the shit I did would keep me from being with the woman meant for me. When I realized that the answer could possibly be yes, I slowed down. Ever since my mama died, I suppose I have been subconsciously searching for love… love that I no longer have.”
My heart dropped. I knew his mother was deceased, but to hear him admit his deepest, intimate feelings to me had me like puddy in his hands. He could probably undress me right now, if he wanted to, and I would let him. He lifted his eyes to mine, and it seemed he was searching for a response to a question he hadn’t asked.
I lifted his hand and kissed it. “Your past won’t keep you from being with me, but it has me extremely cautious. I’ve been hurt in the past and made to look like a fool. Although you were single, your ways somewhat resemble his. He was just doing all those things while we were together, saying I didn’t have time for him. Dating someone in the industry scares me too.”
He slid his hand to my cheek then pulled me back to his lap. “I understand, baby,” he said into my neck. “You smell so good.”
I knew I had to have goosebumps all over me. Before I could do so, he released me and slid me to the couch. When he stood, I did so as well. “Thank you for that, Kamari. I just wanna be with you. I’m not going to stop proving to you that I can be the man you need me to be… the man I ultimately want to be.”
I smiled slightly as he led me to the door. “I hope I get to see you again soon. Where are you headed after this?” he asked.
“I’m going home for a couple of weeks, then I go to Houston.”
“You doing a show out there?”
“Yes. Plus, Megan Thee Stallion invited me out.”
“Well, shit! Look at you!”
I giggled. “You ought to join me.”
He bit his bottom lip and nodded. “I was hoping just that quickly that you would ask. I don’t have anything until the end of next month other than a few interviews. I open for Tank. Hopefully, you can come with me to that.”
“I would love to. I’ll call you in a little bit.”
“Mm hmm.”
I went up on my tippy toes and puckered my lips. He kissed me, slowly easing his tongue to mine. Jesus. When we separated, he opened the door. I walked out to see Terrence standing there waiting for me. I turned back to Deontray and gave him a slight smile. “Talk to you in a few minutes.”
He nodded with a smile. When I walked away, Terrence and I headed to the elevator. The moment we got there, I leaned against the wall and exhaled. I could see him glancing at me. Finally, he said, “Be careful, Miss Carrier.”
I nodded. “I will. Thanks.”
I wanted to believe that Deontray had given me a piece of him that no one had ever seen. I refused to take that lightly. He’d earned time with me, and as long as he was a complete gentleman, he would deserve every minute of that time.